TIFFIN, Ohio—The Heidelberg University baseball team will undertake a critical week in Ohio Athletic Conference play Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin-Wallace College in a league doubleheader at Peaceful Valley in Tiffin, Ohio. The first game is slated for 1 p.m.
Live stats for both games will be available here.
Heidelberg (16-13, 5-5 OAC) currently sits in a tie for fifth place in the league standings with John Carroll University, behind Baldwin-Wallace College, the University of Mount Union and Muskingum University, each of whom are tied for second place in back of Marietta College in first. Four of the league’s 10 OAC doubleheaders this week will be played between the top six teams.
The Student Princes are looking to get back on track following being swept Saturday by rival No. 1 Marietta College. Despite the losses, sophomore second baseman Joe Chiarappa (Clinton/St. Vincent-St. Mary’s) went a combined 3-for-7 with two doubles, a triple and two runs scored.
The Berg boasts four hitters who are pacing above .350, led by senior left fielder Ross Pruitt (Elletsville, Ind./Edgewood) (.385, 25 RBI, 0 HR, 24 R), who 10th in the OAC in hitting, tied for seven in RBI and tied for fifth in hits, and leads the team with 14 multi-hit games. Senior shortstop Ricardo Lizcano (Toledo/Start) (.356, 35, 6, 24) leads the OAC in home runs and slugging percentage (.692), is second in RBI, and is eighth in hits (37) and on-base percentage (.465). Freshman first baseman Eric Monroe (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) (.373, 19, 2, 13) and freshman designated hitter Trevor Oldham (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) (.365, 10, 0, 19) are also tearing at a productive pace, with Oldham second in the league in OBP (.494).
In addition to his school-record 32 career home runs, Lizcano also needs two triples, 14 total bases, 32 runs, 34 RBI and 54 hits to break other school career marks.
On the mound, freshman right hander Ryan Minteer (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) (2.78 ERA, 17 K, 32.1 IP) is 2-1 in seven appearances (four starts) and threw his first career shutout in the first game of last week’s doubleheader at Ohio Northern University. Minteer is also 10th in the OAC in ERA. Senior righty Daniel Brannum (Jamestown/Greeneview) and junior righty Teddy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) have combined for 32 of 58 appearances from the bullpen. Brannum (3.12, 30, 34.2) is 5-0 with 1 save in 15 appearances and is tied for sixth in the OAC in wins and is ninth in strikeouts. Lowe (6.26, 13, 23.0) is 3-2 in 17 outings.
In 569 career games, 13th-year head coach Matt Palm is 397-172 (.698) and is looking for three more victories to become just the fifth coach in OAC history with 400 career wins, behind only the legendary Don Schaly of Marietta College (1,442), Bob Fisher of Baldwin-Wallace College (700), Dick Fishbaugh of Otterbein University (617), and Herb Strayer of Ohio Northern University (592).
B-W (23-6, 7-3 OAC) have won five straight games following a doubleheader sweep yesterday of Wilmington College. Five Yellow Jackets had multi-hit games in game one as David Redovian pitched a complete game four-hitter, while Brendan Toughey finished the day a combined 5-for-8 with six runs.
The Yellow Jacket offense is paced by Toughey (.409, 15, 0, 41), who is second in the OAC in hits and batting average, leads in runs, and is fourth in OBP (.485). Anthony Longhitano (.387, 27, 1, 26) leads the circuit in hits, is sixth in RBI and runs, and eighth in batting average. Zach Ferster (.379, 28, 2, 19) is tied for third in RBI and is sixth in OBP (.472). Kyle Chontos (.368, 28, 3, 31) is second in the conference in runs, tied for third in RBI, is fourth in home runs and hits (42), and seventh in slugging (.553).
On the mound, Pat Havens (2.44, 57, 44.1) is 7-1 in eight appearances (seven starts) and leads the OAC in wins and strikeouts, is seventh in innings pitched, and tied for second with three complete games. Josh Scott (4.50, 35, 40.0) is 6-0 in seven starts and is tied for second in the league in wins and is sixth in strikeouts. Out of the bullpen, Cory Waite (2.16, 13, 16.2) has made one save in 13 appearances, while Jon Tenley (2.35, 18, 15.1) has a team-high five saves in 12 outings.
Following Tuesday’s doubleheader, Heidelberg will face OAC foe Mount Union in a doubleheader Saturday in Alliance.